Colds and Fluseses

[Guest guest]

Z'ev suggested:

 

>> Perhaps L.A. patients are having a different presentation?

>> Interesting, it is so close to San Diego. I've heard of a few

>> children

>> having gastrointestinal symptoms here.

 

For the record, I have a third patient who described the peak of their

flu as " throwing up 20 times " .

 

This particular patient was treated for a Liver/Spleen disharmony years

ago, got much better, and had more recently been taking Yu Ping Feng

San because of his frequent colds and flus.

 

One more thing: Does anybody know how to spell " flu " in the plural?

 

--

 

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

-Adlai Stevenson

[Guest guest]

, Al Stone wrote:

> This particular patient was treated for a Liver/Spleen disharmony

years ago, got much better, and had more recently been taking Yu

Ping Feng San because of his frequent colds and flus.

 

 

In gist, because it is a Ram or Earth year, there is a preponderance

of dampness in the energetic environment and consequently

accumulated in the pulses by the end of the year. In many people,

you will find some significant degree of dampness becoming phlegm in

the lung position and organ depth. The hot summer also encourages

this development. The heat tends to dry the lungs and, in response,

the lungs often create layers of dampness and dried phlegm.

 

You could start to hear this raspy, sometimes unproductive cough in

people's voices by late August. When the seasonal qi moves deeper

because it is Fall, that qi mixing with the heavier dampness or

phlegm. It can be likened to two weather fronts colliding.

Consequently, this seasonal shift creates problems for patients that

have not adapted well to the change.

 

When the season entered Cold Dew (Han Lu) in early October, the

first wave of flu patients started to come in to my office. At the

Taiyin depth, you could easily read in their pulse that phlegm was

generating heat. If the movement extended further at the blood depth

than the normal position, it created sinus and throat problems; when

it flared to Yangming, it created fever and stomach symptoms.

 

The Ram/Earth energy dominates the first half of this year, 2003. If

you use 5-Phases you can calculate the Revenge Cycle which will show

which energy will dominate the latter part of the year--Wood. The

Revenge movement balances the dominance of the year's energy. The

details for the rules to these types of processes are found in

Unschuld's appendix to his Suwen book.

 

In general, over the course of the last dozen years, the start of

the flu season has moved from the Taiyang to Tzuyin levels, in terms

of Shan Han Lun Theory. It seems to be rising through the levels

again and should start with Taiyang again. In the last few years we

seem to be at the most yin phase of the cycle; there have been few

or no superficial, exterior, or Taiyang symptoms. But like

antibiotics, students want to prescribe Yin Chiao San because it

is " for the flu; " alas, all to no avail. It is for exterior

conditions and the flu is deep.

 

Depending on the pulse depth affected (middle or deep), I find my own

proprietary formula, Er Ke Xing Su San, or Qing Qi Hua Tan Tang to

be much more useful. When strong heat is involved, I combine them

with Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin.

 

For very severe cases, I recommend 1000mg/hour of each formula until

relief is felt; then they can change the dose to 1000mg/4 times

daily until better.

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

Jim,

I know you probably get a lot of flack for this stuff, but I think

there is something to it. While I wonder about the accuracy about the

calendrical calculations, I think the value of this approach to

treatment is taking the long view, and seeing the interactions of the

microcosm of humanity with natural and seasonal cycles. It allows one

to go beyond a purely symptomatic view of epidemic evils, and treat

deeper cycles that lead up to the presenting clinical picture. It is

interesting to see you describe weather cycles in Colorado this year,

so that I could compare them with southern California. As I mentioned

in my earlier post, the fires here were possibly a precipitating

factor, as they hit about two weeks before the first wave of the

respiratory symptoms of this particular flu epidemic. Many of my

patients and friends complained during the fires of chest pains, dry

cough, and dry lungs, and we had an unusually warm dry autumn with very

low humidity.

 

During the fires, I was using lung yin moistening medicinals with mild

heat clearing agents.

 

 

Anyone observe the flu epidemic on the east coast, where it has been

unusually cold and very damp for quite awhile now?

 

 

On Dec 17, 2003, at 5:26 PM, jramholz wrote:

 

>

> In gist, because it is a Ram or Earth year, there is a preponderance

> of dampness in the energetic environment and consequently

> accumulated in the pulses by the end of the year. In many people,

> you will find some significant degree of dampness becoming phlegm in

> the lung position and organ depth. The hot summer also encourages

> this development. The heat tends to dry the lungs and, in response,

> the lungs often create layers of dampness and dried phlegm.

>

> You could start to hear this raspy, sometimes unproductive cough in

> people's voices by late August. When the seasonal qi moves deeper

> because it is Fall, that qi mixing with the heavier dampness or

> phlegm. It can be likened to two weather fronts colliding.

> Consequently, this seasonal shift creates problems for patients that

> have not adapted well to the change.

>

> When the season entered Cold Dew (Han Lu) in early October, the

> first wave of flu patients started to come in to my office. At the

> Taiyin depth, you could easily read in their pulse that phlegm was

> generating heat. If the movement extended further at the blood depth

> than the normal position, it created sinus and throat problems; when

> it flared to Yangming, it created fever and stomach symptoms.

>

> The Ram/Earth energy dominates the first half of this year, 2003. If

> you use 5-Phases you can calculate the Revenge Cycle which will show

> which energy will dominate the latter part of the year--Wood. The

> Revenge movement balances the dominance of the year's energy. The

> details for the rules to these types of processes are found in

> Unschuld's appendix to his Suwen book.

>

> In general, over the course of the last dozen years, the start of

> the flu season has moved from the Taiyang to Tzuyin levels, in terms

> of Shan Han Lun Theory. It seems to be rising through the levels

> again and should start with Taiyang again. In the last few years we

> seem to be at the most yin phase of the cycle; there have been few

> or no superficial, exterior, or Taiyang symptoms. But like

> antibiotics, students want to prescribe Yin Chiao San because it

> is " for the flu; " alas, all to no avail. It is for exterior

> conditions and the flu is deep.

[Guest guest]

, Al Stone <alstone@b...> wrote:

 

> One more thing: Does anybody know how to spell " flu " in the plural?

 

Well, because " flu " is a shortened was of saying influenza virus, the

plural that you would be looking for would be that of virus.

 

Also, and this is not directed towards you, there have been numerous

posts lately regarding the flu, which is fine because the patterns and

treatments are being discussed, and I find it to be a learning experience.

 

However, as medical professionals, perhaps the term " flu " should not

be used loosely. I realize laypeople use the term " flu " for all sorts

of things that may not even have the influenza virus involved,

especially when they talk about a " stomach flu " . We do not have to

use it in this innacurate and misleading way. Furthermore, we have

our own CM disease catagories and patterns with which to throw about

with each other.

 

....just a thought...

 

Brian C. Allen

[Guest guest]

However, as medical professionals, perhaps the term " flu " should not

be used loosely. I realize laypeople use the term " flu " for all sorts

of things that may not even have the influenza virus involved,

especially when they talk about a " stomach flu " . We do not have to

use it in this innacurate and misleading way. Furthermore, we have

our own CM disease catagories and patterns with which to throw about

with each other.

>>>>Correct most are not the flu

 

 

[Guest guest]

, " " wrote:

I know you probably get a lot of flack for this stuff, but I think

> there is something to it. While I wonder about the accuracy about

the calendrical calculations, I think the value of this approach to

> treatment is taking the long view, and seeing the interactions of

the microcosm of humanity with natural and seasonal cycles.>>>

 

 

Z'ev:

 

No flack really; more blank stares since I don't know anyone else

really interested in using it. I compare every theory to the pulses.

 

As I've said in past posts, the calendar calculations do not predict

individual patients conditions very well; it's not a matter of

fortune telling, luck, or superstition. They predict the general,

initial conditions that will arise at a certain time. A particular

patient's pattern can, then, be compared to those energetic

conditions, using the Host/Guest Rules.

 

Everyone is familiar with seasonal changes 4 times per year. The

calendar calculations just use different, more complicated cycles

(Stems and Branches). I use it to figure out what type of herbal

formula will likely be necessary for the cold/flu season.

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

Just got this email, thought i would share

 

alon, i had my own version of the " flu " this week. nausea monday night with

borborygmus and damp heat stools 2 or 3x during the night and next morning.

nausea and all day tuesday, no diarrhia . easy to tire, slight headache, and

slight sinus congestion since. took hou xiang zheng qi, then yin qiao with qing

bi. cancelled patients tuesday and wed. thinking maybe it was the flu and

waiting for worse to come. never did. mostly better today. seeing patients

tommorow to make up